Science is wonderful. It tells us about the infinite reaches of space, the tiniest living organism, the human body and the history of our planet. Science has always been about making sense of the world and harnessing its power. From ancient Greek philosophers through Einstein and Watson and Crick to the computer-assisted scientists of today, men and women have wondered, examined, experimented, calculated, and sometimes made discoveries so earth-shaking that people from then on understood the world - or themselves - in an entirely new way.

This in inviting book tells a great adventure story: the history of science. It takes readers to the stars through the telescope, as the sun replaces the earth at the centre of our universe. It delves beneath the surface of our planet, charts the evolution of chemistry's periodic table, introduces the physics that explains electricity, gravity and the structure of atoms. It recounts the scientific quest that revealed the DNA molecule and opened unimagined new vistas for exploration.

Emphasising surprising and personal stories of scientists both famous and unsung, A Little History of Science traces the march of science through the centuries. With delightful illustrations and a warm, accessible style, this is a volume for young and old to treasure together.